The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-10-07
asked, giving her the pail at the top Of

"Ya-as, he's powerful sot up ovel
them bird tracks an leaves an SIGH in
tho rocks. He's wrote to heap Of
folks that he knows to come an see
'em an make pictures Of 'cm. but
dunno what use they is"
Thank you. am going over my.
self to see them. He considers them .
valuable discovery. Good morning"
And lifting his hat to her. he rode gaily
Cd.
The girl stood looking after him, the
color quito gone from her face again.
'.He thinks dunno him." she mutter-
ed. rs she picked up her pail and
went on, printing her bare feet in the
dust
The sun rose high in the soft purple
haze. thin, silvery mist folded itself
away from the valleys as the sunshine
came down; cool. fragrant breath
came up from ferny glens and dripping
rock. The clear whistle of the quail
echoed from crag to crag. and the rust
ling sheen of gorgeous color on the
slope was fringed by the somber green
of the hemlocks upon the tops of the
hills. There had been a long drought.
and the autumn came early this year,
but came with such pomp and splendor
that even the dull eyes of the hill peo-
pie were lifted to the hills in their
glory. There were soft, pure clouds
furling and unfurling their snowy folds
over Mount Moriah to the southwark,
but after time the blue haze grew
denser and yelled them from sight. 1t
crcpt down the valleys and settled in
impenetrablc thickness, until Hank
Ghormley. looking from his door, re-
marked to his wife:
81 reckon them hills along the creek
is burnin' yet. They wuz pedler
come along the road last night said
they'd been a burnin' fur week. and
the fire wuz gittin' down to the creek
farms an doin' heap of hurt"
"Hit smells closeter N thet," re-
marked his daughter Nancy, raising
her fine gray eyes to the top of Mount
Moriah.
Then she, too, went to the door and
looked long and searchingly. Her
keen eyes were trained to measuring
distance and to piercing wells of vapor.
When she had finished her survey she
turned, saying: ''Hit is closeter. Hits
the t'other side of Moriah. and it's
comm this way like all possessed"
hox III
''No, no; hit can't cross the creek m
the plowed ground. Their hain't no
danger for we 'uns, but there's them
cz will suffer-" and a white anguish
settled over her delicate face-still
pale from her long illness.
Jordan and Hayward were sitting in
the dark recess of the Raven Rocks.
They had examined critically the rich
discovery of geographical history, but
their scientific interest being satisfied
| they were drifting into another cham
mel of talk. The last three months had
passed a turning point in the life of each.
1t had impressed Jordan with deep
enthusiasm for his work-perhaps a
mocernized type of the martyr spirit
which has led in all ages to self immo-
lation upon sacrificial affairs. The
great throbbing world held nothing
now which could lure him from his
rocky hills. And in the silent majesty
of the great eternal rocks Hayward
was touched by the sublimity of the
day and place until he told his story
with brief pathos to his friend.
1T is lie to say am not hurt, and
don't care, for l do care, and it hurts
decidedly. You see, its the first time
in my life that l have been well
enough fixed in business to think of
such a thing, and l was in dead
earnest, and she knew it from the first
She couldn't help knowing. You
wouldn't believe that girl with an
angels face and the simplicity of a
child could be so full of vanity and
treachcry as to make a jest of mans
highest feelings. She is as heartless
as stone; she has no conception of feel
ing. Idon't mean Why, what on
earth?"
Both sprang simultaneously to their
feet. In the doorway of the cavern,
the yelled sunlight turning her tawny
hair to gold, stood little girlish
figure. with torn dress and bare, bleed
ing feet.
20, Brother Jordan, an you other
Teller, ye must run fer yer lives, the
hill is afire an its comm round this
way like the wind. Shore, it is" she
cried Indignantly. "Come to the ledge
here and 20 kin see fer yerselves the
roads cut of. Ye must go down
the rocks" They were incredulous,
but both had sufficient faith in the girls
better knowledge of the hills to believe
her against appearances They scram-
bled down the ledge to where their
horses were tied. painting and trembling
and paving the dried grass. They
could not see far around their own hill,
but over high boulder burst a view of
the wall of lurid red and yellow flames.
rising in straight slender columns till a
current of upper air carried them over
head in drifts of pale, vapory smoke.
The red glow fell upon their faces. In
three minutes the sun was hidden; the
hill was swathed in regal robe of
fiery grandeur. The heat was growing
intense; the smell of the blaze and its
ominous roar were upon them. The
weird, awful beauty of the scene held
the young men spellbound for second,
then they turned to their horses.
PUT your coats over their heads
tie them by the sleeves" she screamed